The bass drum, also commonly known as a kick drum when associated with drum kits, typically comprises a kick pedal. In 1900, Sonor drum company introduced the first single bass drum pedal, but was difficult to use. William F. Ludwig made the bass drum pedal workable in 1909, paving the way for the modern drum kit. To utilize the kick pedal, a footplate is pressed to pull a chain, belt, or metal drive mechanism downward, bringing a beater or mallet forward into the drumhead.
FIG. 1 illustrates a standard prior art foot pedal including a drum beater. A foot pedal 1 is attached to a strap or chain 2 that is engaged to a beater holder 3 on a rotating axle 4. Extending from the beater holder 3 is a rod or shaft 5 having a beater head 6 thereon. Upon pressing the foot pedal 1, thereby pulling the strap or chain 2, the beater holder 3, and thus the rod or shaft 5 and beater head 6, rotate about the axle 4, and the beater head 6 moves to strike a drum head surface to produce the bass drum sound. A spring assembly 7 may return the beater holder 3 into a “reset” position until the pedal is once again depressed. It should be noted that a prior art foot pedal may also be a “direct drive” system, without a strap or chain allowing direct movement of the beater when depressing the pedal without a strap or chain.
The beater head is usually made of felt, wood, plastic, or rubber and is attached to the rod or shaft. The pedal and beater system are mounted in a metal frame and a tension unit controls the amount of pressure needed to strike and the amount of recoil upon release. A spring assembly can be utilized to reset the kick pedal and move the beater or mallet away from the drum head surface after striking the drum head surface.
As noted above, the beater head can be made of felt, wood, plastic or rubber. The particular material utilized can affect the sound produced by the drum upon striking the same. For example, a softer surface made of felt or rubber can produce a relatively muffled sound, while a harder surface, such as made from wood or plastic, can produce a sharper sound. Indeed, different beater heads may be utilized depending on the type of sound desired by the user.
However, even with the use of different materials, it is oftentimes difficult to control the sound desired and the recoil of the beater head off the drum head surface. A need, therefore, exists for a beater apparatus providing a desired sound. Moreover, a need exists for a beater apparatus allowing for desired recoil, which may further influence the sound qualities of the bass drum.
In addition, typical drum beater heads may absorb or transfer energy in undesirable ways when the drum beater heads strike the drum head surface. A need exists for control of the drum beater head for proper energy transfer between the drum beater head and the drum head surface. Specifically, a need exists for control of the drum beater head for proper energy transfer between the drum beater head and the drum head surface for the desired sound qualities and recoil thereof.
Oftentimes, drum beater heads are a complicated combination of materials, including the aforementioned felt, wood, plastic and rubber in order to obtain the desired sound and recoil qualities. A need exists for a drum beater apparatus comprises relatively simple materials. Specifically, a need exists for a drum beater apparatus having desired sound and recoil qualities utilizing materials such as metal and composite plastic.